You are here

Dollar General to settle sexual harassment suit

Arkansas News Bureau

HARRISON — Dolgencorp LLC, also known as Dollar General Corp. of Goodlettsville, Tenn., has agreed to pay $27,500 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Tuesday.

The EEOC charged that Dollar General allowed a store manager to sexually harass female employees and then failed to take the proper remedial action against the manager.

According to the EEOC’s suit, the store manager in Dollar General’s Bull Shoals store began sexually harassing female employees shortly after his transfer to that store. The EEOC alleged the harassment included comments and requests for sexual favors.

Although at least one employee called the corporate hotline and also complained to an assistant manager about the harassment, Dollar General failed to take action to stop the manager’s conduct.

The EEOC filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Harrison Division, after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement through its conciliation process.

Besides the monetary relief, the 18-month consent decree agreed upon by the parties and approved by the court requires Dollar General to provide sexual harassment and retaliation training for store managers and assistant managers. Dollar General must report complaints of sexual harassment received within that district to the EEOC and require Bull Shoals’ assistant managers to report any complaints of sexual harassment to members of upper management.

Dollar General did not immediately return a telephone call to its corporate offices seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.